Clinical interview
Meherwish deep naz
CLINICAL INTERVIEW?
• A clinical interview is a conversation between a psychologists and client that
is intended to help the psychologist diagnose and treat the patient.
• The most pivotal element of a clinical interview is the person who conducts
it.
GENERAL SKILLS
• Quieting yourself – minimize excessive internal, self-directed thought that
detract from listening.
• Being self-aware – know how you tend to affect others interpersonally, and
how others tend to relate to you.
• Develop positive working relationships – can segue into psychotherapy. -
respecting and caring attitude is key
SPECIFIC BEHAVIORS
• Eye contact
• Body language
• Vocal qualities
• Verbal tracking
• Referring to the client by the proper name
• BODY LANGUAGE: General rules; face the client, appear attentive,
minimize restlessness, display appropriate facial expressions and so on
• VERBAL TRACKING : Ensure clients that they have been accurately
heard.
• Monitor the train of thought of client, if able to shift topics smoothly
rather than abruptly
• VOCAL QUALITIES: Use pitch, tone, volume, and fluctuation to voices to let
client
• VERBAL TRACKING: Ensure clients that they have been accurately heard.
• Monitor the train of thought of client, if able to shift topics smoothly rather than
abruptly its know that their feeling and words are being deeply appreciated.
• Misuse of names in this way may be disrespectful and be received as micro
aggression.
• COMPONENTS OF THE INTERVIEW
• Rapport – positive, comfortable relationship between interviewer and client.
• Technique – what an interviewer does with clients. Directive vs. Non-
directive Styles
COMPONENTS OF THE INTERVIEW
• Rapport – positive, comfortable relationship between interviewer and client.
• Technique – what an interviewer does with clients; - Directive vs. Non-
directive Styles.
• Open-ended questions - Allow individualized and spontaneous responses
from clients. Elicit long answers that may or may not provide necessary
information.
• Close-ended questions -Allow less elaboration and self- expression by the
client. Yield quick and precise answers
PRAGMATICS OF THE INTERVIEW
• Note taking
• Audio and Video-recording
• The interview room
• Confidentiality
TYPES OF INTERVIEWS
• Intake Interviews
• Diagnostic Interviews
• Mental Status Exam
• Crisis Interviews
• INTAKE INTERVIEWS: To determine whether to “intake” the client into
the agency or refer elsewhere.
• DIAGNOSTIC INTERVIEWS: To provide DSM diagnosis • Structured
interviews often used
• minimize subjectivity, enhance reliability
• MENTAL STATUS EXAM: Typically used in medical settings.
• To quickly assess how a client is functioning at that time.
• Crisis interview: Assess problem and provide immediate intervention.
• Client are often considering suicide or other harmful act
Informal Assessment
• Informal assessment, information is based on careful observation of
behaviors by the interviewee/ Psychologist
• Semi structured interview
• Subjective Rating of the Problem
• Mental status examination
• Emotional log
• Baseline charts/ functional assessment charts
